


A Happy Ending

by ImplausibleBec



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-27
Updated: 2015-08-01
Packaged: 2018-04-11 11:56:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4434572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImplausibleBec/pseuds/ImplausibleBec
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of BlackHill one-shots that may or may not be related.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I have some time off, and I'm forcing myself to write. I'm attempting to write and post something everyday until I go back to work - feel free to leave prompts or requests if you'd like :-)

“You’re not going to get anywhere staring at my grave you know.” Maria spun, her eyes flashing with anger. Of course Natasha would fake her own death so convincingly that even Maria mourned.

Natasha wasn’t a redhead anymore, her hair dyed dark. She looked gaunt, but that was normal for someone who’d been on the run. That voice though, was all Natasha. The brunette pushed herself upright. She wanted to yell, to rage at Natasha for leaving her, for making her grieve.

All of her anger died on her tongue, she couldn’t force a single drop of it out, because Natasha was there, alive – she’d come back for Maria.

“Never do that to me again.” Maria warned even as she folded Natasha into her arms.

“Can I come home?” Natasha whispered, as though afraid that Maria would say no.

“You had better.” Maria sighed.

They joined hands as Maria led Natasha home. “So I’ve been thinking.” Natasha said quietly.

“Yes?”

“Well, I faked my death, I can’t exactly go back to being who I was.”

“You’re thinking about a change?”

“Yes, a big one.” Natasha nodded.

“What will you do instead?”

“Well, if you’re open to the idea – I’d like to be a stay at home mother.”

Maria froze. They’d talked about children – a lifetime ago – but everything was too dangerous, too uncertain.

“There’s nothing to stop us now.” Natasha continued. “SHIELD is gone – you work for Stark, and no one has shot at you in months.” She waited for Maria’s response.

“Can we give it a little time?” She said finally. “I’d like to get used to you not being dead first.”

“Sure, is until Monday long enough?” Natasha grinned, pulling Maria along the street toward their home. “Because I’ve made us an appointment at an orphanage.”

Maria rolled her eyes – of course she had. She didn’t argue though – she had her wife back, and they were finally going to get the happy ending they deserved.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Natasha leads Clint across the crowded bar, determined that this will be the night he stops moping and starts living again. Honestly, she thought, he needed to pull up his big boy pants and just get over whatever her name was - they had gone on two dates! There was no reasoning with Clint though, he was a hopeless romantic, and every girl who accepted a second date was bound to be the next great love of his life. They'd been working together for five years and in that time Clint had met the love of his life at least seventeen times.

 

She leaned back against the bar and surveyed the room for potential rebounds. She supposed that simply throwing him back on the horse time and time again was not making the situation any better, but she didn't really care. "Three o'clock." She said, giving him a little shove in the direction of a small blonde - just his type. He downed the drink he'd just ordered and nodded.

 

"Vodka." Natasha ordered, pointing to their top shelf as she spoke. The bartender nodded and poured. She sipped slowly, like one would with a scotch. Out of the corner she could see someone waving in her direction, she turned, sure it wasn't for her.

 

Hill. Maria Hill was waving at her from the far end of the bar. She was talking to a guy who was built somewhat like Steve, or rather he was talking and she was looking bored. Natasha figured she needed an extraction – she could do that, and mess with Hill a little in the process. She knocked back the remains of her drink before sauntering down to where Hill was cornered.

 

Maria was seated on one of the stools half facing the guy who was trying every lame pickup line in the book. She caught Natasha's eye, as if to say 'what the hell are you waiting for?' She gave Maria a quick nod, indicating that she was indeed coming to her rescue. 

 

Before Maria knew what was going on Natasha had moved between Maria and the muscle head and deposited herself on Maria's lap. She planted a kiss on Maria's cheek before turning to the guy. "You can go now." She glared at him. Some part of his brain must have understood that she was a very real threat, or perhaps he recognised for who she was, either way he left.

 

"Thanks." Maria said. "Some guys just don't get the whole gay bar thing." She gave a laugh.

 

"This is a gay bar?" She asked in horror, looking across to check on Clint, just in time to see him get slapped by the blonde’s irate girlfriend. "Worst wingman ever." She couldn't help but laugh.

 

"Poor Barton." Maria's tone suggested she was anything but sorry.

 

"So, Hill, you come here often?" Natasha asked, wrapping an arm around her superior's shoulders.

 

"Only when I need to blow of some steam." Maria snaked an arm around Natasha's waist, pulling her closer. That was unexpected. She had expected her flirting to be met with a firm rebuttal, something about fraternisation policies and Maria's rank, not for Hill to up the ante.

 

"Want to get out of here?" She asked, letting her lips touch Maria's ear as she spoke.

 

"Your place or mine?" Hill asked.

 

"Does Barton know where you live?" Maria shook her head, she clearly thought that was a ridiculous question. "Then yours, because he will no doubt go to mine for revenge."


	3. Chapter 3

"Extraction is at 1300 tomorrow. Please don't go too wild." Fury ordered.

"Can I sneak into the lions' cage at the MGM?" Clint asked.

"No."

"Can I gamble?" Hand asked.

"Only on chance games, no cards." Fury said.

"Can I marry agent Hill?" Natasha asked.

Fury let out a long suffering sigh. "If she'll have you Romanoff, I wish you both every happiness." He rolled his eye. "Just don't get arrested, and be at extraction point delta at 1300." He cut the line.

Maria joined them from the bathroom. "What's the plan?"

Natasha looked to Clint and Victoria. "Want to help us mess with Fury?" She asked them.

"Always." Clint grinned.

"I'm game." Victoria laughed.

"Excellent. Get dressed. We're going out." She ordered. "I spoke to the director." She told Maria.

"He agreed?"

"Well he thought I was joking, but yes." She smiled, watching as Maria's own smile widened.

"Wait, you two are really going to get married?" Victoria asked.

***

The team left the quinjet and headed for their quarters to drop off their bags. They'd debriefed on the flight back, so everyone except Maria could look forward to the afternoon off.

Maria made her way up to her office, a folder of documents in hand. She found the necessary forms and began filling them in.

Her phone interrupted her several minutes later.

"Yes Jackson?" She asked her assistant.

"Agent Romanoff is here, she said she had orders to report to you?"

"Thank you Agent Jackson, let her in." Maria said her voice remaining firm.

Maria looked up when she heard the door close behind Natasha. "I have the forms, so once you sign them we can take it all to Fury."

Natasha leaned forward and signed where Maria directed her to do so.

"Right. Let's go." She collected the papers back into the folder and led the way out of her office. "Jackson, please let the Director know I'm on my way."

"Yes, Sir." Jackson nodded as she grabbed her phone.

"Commander Hill, the Director is ready for you." Fury's assistant said as they approached.

Maria nodded and continued through to his office.

"Hill, Romanoff, what's going on?"

"Just some paperwork to update sir." Maria dropped the folder on his desk.

Fury looked at Natasha for a long moment. "Does this paperwork have anything to do with your actions after your most recent mission, Romanoff?"

"Yes sir." She nodded.

"Did I, or did I not make it clear that you were to all behave yourselves?"

"Sir, you did." She nodded.

"Would you like to explain your actions?"

"I asked you if it would be ok to marry Agent Hill." She began.

"If you remember correctly, I believe my permission was conditional on Agent Hill's consent."

"Yes sir." Natasha nodded.

"Are you filing a harassment claim?" He asked Maria.

"No sir." Maria kept her expression purposely calm.

"Ok, let's see then." He flicked open the folder. "Is this some kind of joke?"

"No sir." Both women answered.

"You are aware that you have in fact provided me with a legally binding marriage certificate?"

"Yes sir." Maria nodded.

"There's a souvenir picture for you too sir, since you couldn't be there." Natasha added, handing over the photograph.

"Is there an annulment in here too?"

"No sir." Natasha shook her head.

"So the two of you actually got married? And you intend to stay that way?"

"Yes sir. You did give permission." Natasha said.

"I thought you were joking."

"I was not aware of that sir." Natasha lied.

"Very well. But agent Romanoff, you had better not expect any special treatment from Commander Hill." He began. "Actually, I think it would be best for all concerned if you answer directly to Agent Coulson from now on, Romanoff."

"With respect sir, I can be trusted to behave professionally, I have managed it thus far." Maria countered.

"Exactly how long has this been going on?"

"This was not a spur of the moment decision sir, if that is what you’re asking. Natasha and I have been seeing each other for just over three years."

"Three years?"

"Yes sir." Natasha confirmed.

"And no one has found out?"

"Aside from yourself sir, only Agents Barton and Hand know, since they were our witnesses. We told them last night."

"Very well. You may continue as you have been, provided you can stay professional."

"Yes sir." Both women agreed.

"Dismissed." He waved them out with a slight smile. "And Maria?" He called as she reached for the door handle.

"Sir?"

"It's a nice photo. Congratulations."

"Thank you sir." She gave him a smile before composing herself and leaving the office.


	4. Chapter 4

"Can I have two walk-in wardrobes? Natasha asked.   
  
"Sure." Tony tapped the request into his tablet. He wasn't sure how anyone could possibly have that many clothes, but then again Natasha was a master of disguise, she no doubt had many clothes for that end.   
  
"Can I bring my cat?" She continued.  
  
"Anyone allergic?" Tony asked the group.   
  
"She'll stay in my quarters." Natasha clarified. "Well, mostly."  
  
"Then sure." Tony shrugged.   
  
"I'll need a good solid bed too. King sized."  
  
"Order it through Jarvis." Tony shrugged. "That goes for all of you. Whatever furniture you want, just tell Jarvis and he'll handle the ordering." Everyone nodded.   
  
"Are there training facilities?" Natasha continued.   
  
"Yes, plenty of them."  
  
"Security?"  
  
"Jarvis controls the building. No one gets through without his say so."  
  
As if to prove Tony's point Jarvis said. "Ms Romanoff, there is someone in the lobby, looking for you?" A picture appeared on a wall nearby.   
  
Natasha let out a smile. "Let her up Jarvis."   
  
"Sir?" Jarvis asked.   
  
"These guys are moving in J, if they want guests they can have them." Tony nodded.   
  
"She's on her way up."  
  
"When you say Jarvis controls the building, is he recording as well?" Natasha returned to her questioning.   
  
"Yes. But I have set him to encrypt all data from everyone's private quarters and make it accessible only in the case of an emergency or at your request." Tony said.   
  
"Tasha just ask him what you want to ask him." Clint said finally.   
  
The elevator opened and SHIELD's deputy director made a beeline for the spy. "Everyone, you've all met Commander Hill, right?"  
  
The guys nodded. "Although I didn't really expect you to own civvies." Tony joked, taking in Maria's jeans, boots and blouse. It softened her appearance, as did the lack of her usual tight bun.   
  
At Tony's comment the usually stern brunette let out a laugh. "I'm off duty, as are all of you. You can call Maria."  
  
"We can?" Clint asked.   
  
"Not you." Natasha told him firmly. She looked to Maria. "Tony has offered me an apartment here." She told Maria. "I was just running through my requests."  
  
"Bathtub." Maria said.   
  
"Yes!" Natasha agreed. She looked back to Tony. "A giant bathtub. Big enough for two." She told him.   
  
"For two eh?" He waggled his eyebrows.   
  
Natasha removed her left hand from her pocket and held it out for Tony and the others to see. A simple gold band adorned her fourth finger.   
  
"Nice one." Tony laughed, but was cut off by Clint's expression. "Wait, you're actually married?"   
  
Natasha nodded. Tony looked at Clint then back to her. "To Legolas?" He asked.   
  
Natasha made a face, expressing her distaste for that particular idea. Maria laughed outright. "No." Natasha said, shaking her head emphatically.   
  
"We're just bros." Clint confirmed. Natasha raised an eyebrow at him. "Still no? Fine. What I meant to say is we're like family." He explained. Natasha hated being referred to as his 'bro', not that that stopped him from using the term. Often.   
  
"Then who?" Tony asked.   
  
Maria raised her left hand, showing off a ring that matched Natasha's, as the shorter woman snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her closer.   
  
"Oh" Was all Tony could manage, looking between the two women.   
  
"No one minds if Maria moves in too, right?" Natasha joked. "Because I won't if she can't." She looked past Tony to the others. Both Steve and Bruce shrugged, it seemed none of their business.   
  
"Right then. Anyone else want to bring in secret spouses?" Tony joked. "Any other surprises?" He looked back at Natasha.

She held up her hands. “I’m all out of surprises.” She laughed. “Well, for now at least.” 

“I’ll believe that when I see it.” Clint sniggered.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter follows directly on from the previous one. Nat may have one more secret for the team.

Natasha’s retort was cut off by Maria’s phone, the brunette stepped away with an apologetic look at the group. Natasha followed with her eyes, tracking the conversation with concern.

“Everything ok?” Steve asked.

Natasha chuckled. “I may have to take back that bit about not having anything else to shock you with.” She said as Maria re-joined the group. “Was that Sarah?”

“Yep.” Maria grinned.

“Something to share with the class?” Tony suggested.

“About ten years ago I was put on a security detail for a SHIELD asset.” Maria began. “A young girl, recovered from a HYDRA base. I was her live-in bodyguard for eighteen months. To a seven year old – that can seem a lot like a parent.”

“You have a kid?” Steve asked.

“Not technically – she’s still a SHIELD asset, but we’ve remained close.”

“She calls Maria Mom.” Natasha shrugged.

“Like I haven’t heard her call you the same thing.” Maria countered.

“You have a daughter.” Steve repeated.

“We do.” Natasha agreed.

“And she’s on her way here.” Maria told Natasha.

“How long?” The redhead asked, practically bouncing in her excitement.

“She’s a couple of blocks out – she was being dropped at HQ, but she’ll be dropped here instead.” She slipped her phone back into her pocket.

“I’ll meet her downstairs.”

“So where is she coming from?” Bruce asked.

“MIT.” Natasha was obviously very proud. “I’ll be right back – I can trust all of you to get along, right?”

“I’m pretty sure I can handle this lot for five minutes. If it comes to it though, I’ll use Clint as a human shield.” Maria shrugged.

“Hey!” Clint protested. “That was an accident, and you know it – Nat was barely even hurt.”

“Doesn’t change the fact that you _shot my wife_.” Maria countered.

“You shot Natasha?” Steve asked.

“The mark used her as a shield – it wasn’t my fault.” He whined, Maria rolled her eyes.

“So that’s why he can’t call you Maria?” Tony asked.

“It’s on the list.”

-

Natasha could see Sarah loitering in the foyer, her eyes glued to the bank of elevators that serviced the more public floors of the building. She took advantage of the girl’s distraction to sneak up behind her.

“Miss me?” She asked.

Sarah spun, catching Natasha in a tight hug. “Me? You’re the one who publicly thwarted an alien invasion just so I’d be forced to visit.” She teased.

“Drop out of school and just hang out with me?” Natasha suggested. “I miss your sass too much when you’re gone.”

“Good plan, pitch it to Nick, will you? I’d love to see how that plays out.” She followed Natasha into the elevator.

“Are you ready to meet the Avengers?”

“No! Why would you spring that on me?”

“Where else did you think we were going? Don’t worry, Thor’s back on Asgard, it’s just Cap, Tony and Bruce.”

“Dr Banner?”

“Yes, you can geek out.” Natasha rolled her eyes – Sarah’s scientific tendencies baffled her as much as they impressed her.

The elevator opened and all eyes in the room turned to fix on them. Maria was the first to approach. “It takes a near apocalypse to get you to visit?”

“Oh god – they really are parents!” Tony gasped.

“Yeah, yeah, I already used that excuse on Mama – you totally staged the whole thing just so I’d have to come home.”

“Sarah, meet Steve, Tony and Bruce.” Natasha said. “Guys, this is Sarah.”

“Your mothers tell us you’re studying at MIT?” Bruce said.

“I’m working on my doctorate.” She nodded.

“How old are you?” Tony asked.

“Eighteen.” She shrugged.

“Impressive.” Tony conceded. “So how exactly did you end up with two of the most dangerous women on the planet for parents?”

“Sheer force of will – mine and theirs.”

‘I can’t imagine that Director Fury turned custody of an asset over to an agent lightly.” Steve agreed.

“Mom pulled me out of that lab herself – she promised me I would be safe with her – I took her at her word.”

“I wasn’t a junior agent – I was field commander.” Maria added. “Nat and I had only just started seeing each other. Sarah needed a stable environment, and we happened to be it – I’m happy with the outcomes thus far.”

“Really? Because Mama wants me to drop out of school to amuse her with my sass.”

“Not a chance.” Maria swatted Natasha’s arm.

“Surely you can’t have had a normal childhood though?”

“I was pulled out of a HYDRA lab when I was seven, and at last testing I have an IQ of over two hundred – normal was never in my grasp.”

“So you’ll be needing an extra bedroom?” Tony asked Natasha. “Will one suffice? Or do you have more family we should know about?”

“No, one will be fine.” Natasha laughed.

“Anyone else want to fess up to a secret family?” Tony asked.

Bruce and Steve both shook their heads. “Nah, I’m saving mine for a more dramatic reveal.” Clint shrugged.

“Yeah right Barton – like anyone would be that crazy.” Tony scoffed.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maria meets Nat's family.

Maria took Natasha to meet her military family, a loud group of mostly ex-soldiers. Between them, the group had an impressive array of post-military careers as everything from personal trainers to corporate security advisors. Natasha was welcomed almost instantly into the group, and she loved them. They met on a sporadic basis for lunch that inevitably turned into dinner, and usually went long into the night.

“You should meet my family too.” Natasha commented as they drove back to their apartment.

“I haven’t met them all already?” Maria had never heard Natasha mention any family outside of their SHIELD group.

“Not all of them. We should take a few days off to go visit them.” Natasha decided.

A few weeks later Maria found herself in a rental car in the middle of nowhere, Iowa. Natasha had refused to give any further details on her mysterious family, and if the brunette didn’t trust her girlfriend completely she may have been worried.

She pulled up to a farmhouse as the sun was setting, there didn’t seem to be any movement, although a couple of the rooms were lit up. Natasha grabbed their bags and led Maria to the door.

The front door burst open before they could reach it and to Maria’s immense shock two small children launched themselves at the Russian with shrieks of excitement. “Aunty Nat!”

Natasha dropped their bags in favour of catching the children. “Hey my little birds.” She laughed as she hugged them both tight. Maria took a moment to look the children over, the older was a boy who looked to be about seven, the younger a girl of maybe three or four.

The door opened again and Maria found herself under the intense gaze of a small brunette. “So you’re Maria.” The woman said, obviously measuring Maria.

“Yes,” Natasha confirmed. “This is Maria. Maria this is Laura, Cooper and Lila.”

“Nice to meet you.” Maria smiled, reaching out to shake Laura’s hand.

Laura pushed the hand aside to hug Maria instead. “It’s wonderful to finally have a face to put to the woman Nat can’t shut up about – I feel like I know you already.” Laura laughed, and instantly she didn’t seem remotely threatening.

They followed Laura inside, Natasha with a child on each hip and Maria with their bags. As soon as Natasha put the children down they dragged her upstairs to see something in their playroom, leaving Maria and Laura alone.

“You can drop the bags by the stairs.” Laura said.

“So how do you know Natasha?”

“She hasn’t told you?”

“No, she just said we were coming out here to visit her family.”

“You work for SHIELD, correct?”

“Yes.”

“My husband is a SHIELD agent, he and Nat work together a lot.”

“He is?” Maria was confused, Natasha worked with a small roster of agents, none of whom had families to her knowledge.

“He has mentioned you too of course, he respects you.” Laura added. “Although I’m sure he’d never willingly tell you as much.”

“Exactly who is your husband?”

“Clint Barton.” Laura said.

“Clint Barton? Really? I never would have guessed that this was part of his life.”

“Nick helped to secure this place for us before Coop was born, it was a large part of the reason that he joined SHIELD – guaranteed protection for our family.” Laura explained. “He brought Nat home the first time he was authorised to take her off base – the kids love her.”

“I can tell.” Maria agreed.

By the time Natasha made it back downstairs, with Lila clinging to her, Maria and Laura were chatting easily as they worked on dinner.

“Keep this one Nat – I like her.” Laura announced.

“Don’t worry – I intend to.” Natasha grinned before kissing Maria’s cheek.

“Is she your girlfriend?” Lila asked.

“Yep.” Natasha nodded.

“Do you have to marry her now?”

Natasha laughed. “I don’t _have_ to.” She paused. “Can you keep a secret?” The girl nodded emphatically. “I want to marry her though.” She winked at Maria.

“Wow.” Laura commented. “That’s, wow Nat.” Laura was amazed that such a sentiment could come from the same woman who had more than once avowed that love was for children, and not something she intended to look for.

Maria flushed deeply. “Me too.” She admitted with an uncharacteristically shy smile.

“Tasha, Maria? I didn’t know you were coming.” Clint said, effectively breaking the tension that had engulfed the room. He dropped his weapons case by the door before catching Laura in a hug.

“Daddy!” Lila cried waving happily, although she made no move to free herself from Natasha’s hold.

“Hey princess.” Clint grinned. “So why is Maria so red?” he asked Natasha, to her credit Natasha barely blushed in response. “Oh, I’ve stumbled into something good!” Clint looked to his wife for an explanation.

“Uh – well I think Nat and Maria just agreed to get married.” Laura said slowly, as though she didn’t want to startle the women in her kitchen.

“Really?” Clint asked, looking to Natasha.

Natasha turned to Maria. “Yeah, I think we did.” She agreed, her face splitting into a wide smile as Maria simply nodded.


End file.
